Police, military and other law enforcement units often rely on dogs (known as K-9 units) that are specifically trained to assist such personnel in their work, such as searching or drugs and explosives, searching for lost people, looking for crime scene evidence, tracking and locating crime suspects, and protecting their handlers. In tactical situations, a handler may need to access other tactical equipment and may need to maintain control of the dog without the use of their hands. As such, many K-9 leashes provide for attachment of the leash to a tactical belt using a hook or loop system. When better control is needed, the leash is typically released from the belt using a quick release buckle. Additionally, it is important for the leash to be expandable to allow for the dog to quickly track and locate people or items of interest without being held back by their handler. Therefore, many K-9 leashes have an elastic or elastomeric member sewn between the two ends of the leash.
The quick release buckles and connectors known in the prior art are often difficult to unlatch when the dog is pulling against the buckle or connector attached to the belt. Further, the elastic or elastomeric members used in commercially available leashes are limited in how far they can expand and still maintain a reasonable length when retracted. There are situations where a dog may need to travel a longer distance from their handler in a very short period of time. As such, there is a need for a quick release leash that can be released even when the dog is pulling against the leash with full force. It is also useful for the leash to have the ability to expand to longer distances than the typical elastomeric leash models in a shorter period of time.